Fountain toothbrush



Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

AnNnLro. MENDOZA, on BLQQMFIELD;l NEW JERSEY.

PATENT cierren.

FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRIISH.

Application filed January 23; 1924; SeriaI No. 688,018.

This inventionA relates to improvements in tooth brush constructions.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a relatively simpl-e type of fountain tooth. brushl embodying a novel brush head construction andlmeans for controlling the ii'ow of dentifrice thereon.

further objectof this invention is the provision of' a fountain tooth brush embodying novel? means for detachable connection of'aI brush hea-d upon its seat.

A fur-ther object of this invention is the provision of novel valve control meansv for fountain tooth brushes.

Other objects and advantages ofi this invention will" be apparent during the course ofthe following detailed description.

In the accompanyingy drawings, forming a part ovf'this specification, and wherein similar reference characters.v designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is side elevation showing the preferred formv ofthe improved tooth brush.

F ig. 2 is. a longitudinalv sectional View taken through the improved tooth brush.

Fig. 3 is a. cross sectional view taken through the forward end; ofl the tooth brush, showing the manner off assembling the novel brush head in its seat.

Fig. t is a fragmentary view, in section,

of the enlarged: forward end of the brush head and its. seat.

Fig. 5l is a: perspective view of al novel type of valve member which is preferably used with the fountain tooth brush.

6, is a fragmentary plan view ofthe frame of the tooth brush, showing more-particularly the brush head seat thereof'.

Figs. 7 and 8 are transverse cross sectional? views taken substantial-fly on their respective lines; inFigure 2 of the drawings.

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a section of they brush head, showing certain. novel features of construction thereof..

Fig. 10k is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-.10 of Figure 2'.

11 is a fragmentary View" showing al nozzle connection'. which may be used in connection with the attachment of dentifrice :tainers in the improved fountain tooth l tie; trani wherein forv jfurpeee oft' illustration is shown only the preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate the fountain tooth brush, which may include the supporting frame B, adapted to detachably receive a brush head C ;V and a dentifrice container D, so that the dentifrice may be fed from the container D onto the bristles of the brush head@ Referring to the frame B, the same preferably comprises the handle or casing portion 15; brush head' seat 16; andthe neck 17 which connectsv the casing or housing 15 with the seat construction 16. The housing 15 preferably is the handle of" the tooth brushl A', andE includes the portion 18 integrally Vconnected with the neck port-ion 17, and also including al hinged closure 19 which cooperates with the stationary portionl 18- toV provide a` compartment 20 adapted to receive the dentifrice container Ds inan enclosed relation. The neck por tion 17 is preferably hollow, and has a forvard wall- 251 which faces the pocket 26' of the seat construction 16;- and the wall 27 which faces thecompartment 2O of the handle-casing 1'5'. A tapered tubeQQ; is fixedly supported by the walls 25 and 27, and its larger end is supported by thev wall 27, providing a tapered' opening 30 adapted to receive a4 tapered' nozzle connection spout 3,1 therein, as willA be subsequently mentioned. rlie smaller or forward part of the tube 29 extends. througl'ian opening inthe wall 25', and provides atubular projection 35 which eut-ends into-the pocket 26 formed by the frame B'. Gffcourse, lieu ofthis con,- struction: the tapered passageway 30 may be bored? through a solid neck of the frame of the tooth brush, but it can readily be understood' that by forming. the walfls 25 and 27 rigid with the frame l, a saving of' maferial is` eifectedf, as Well' as a reduction in weight. Y Y

rlhe seating construction 16, as before mentioned, provides the pocket 26, and to this end? includes the bottom waltl' 35a with upstanding side walls 36 and 3:7 which taper in converging relation from the rear wallf 25l toward the forward' end of the frame B,

where an. arcuate front wall. ori-lange 39 is' provided, which isf preferably resilient, .',L at; itsnpper; si

slightly inte the pocket 26, so that it will be necessary to flex the same outwardly when placing the tooth brush head C. This wall 39 of the brush head seat construction 16 is preferably provided with a vertical slot l0 therein adapted to receive an end of the brush valve 4l, will be subsequently described.

Referring to the construction of the brush head C; the same preferably includes a base 50 formed of a plurality of sections to compactly and economically locate the valve l-l therein for effective operation. This base construction 50 includes upper, intermediate, and lower sections 5l, 52 and 53 respectively. The base 50 of the brush head C may be formed of hard rubber, gutta-percha, or pyroxyline, and the sections 5l, 52 and 53 are vulcanized or welded into a non-detachable relation to form the dentifrice duct or conduit 55 in the base 50. The upper section 5l of the base 50 has the tufts of bristles 56 formed therein in any approved manner, and substantially midway of the ends of this section 5l a port 57 is transversely provided through the section 5l. The intermediate and lower sections 52 and 53 `respectively are provided with grooves extending longitudinally thereof in their facing surfaces, so that when said sections are fused together, these grooves will be in facing relation to provide the port 55 which is substantially oval in cross sect-ion, and which extends from the rear end of the base 50 to a point about midway of the ends of said base, where said duct right angles, as at 60, and isadapted for axial alignment with the poit 57 when the sections of the base are assembled, and as is illustrated in the drawings. Rearwardly of the duct 55, a reduced passageway 63 is provided, within which the shank 64 of the valve il is slidably disposed; said shank 6-i preferably extending longitudinally of the brush base 50, and at its rear end providing a valve head 66 which is oval in cross section, and which is slidably disposed in the duct 55 for regulating the exit of dentifrice with respect to the bristles of the brush. This passageway 63 outlets on the forward end of the brush, so that the shank 64 extends outwardly from the forward end of the`brush head C, and is provided with a right angled linger engaging extension 67.

Referring to the operation and assemblage of the improved tooth brush, a nozzle connection 70 is provided, which as above mentioned has the tapered spout 3l thereon having the way 71 therethrough. A resilient connecting ring 72 is preferably provided in the nozzle connection 70, which is adapted to receive the screw threaded nozzle 74 of the dentifrice container D; being of such nature that the same may receive nozzles 74- of varying sizes. The dentifrice container D is placed in the compartment 2O of the handle-casing l5, the spout 3l inserted into the bore or passageway of the neck tube 29. The brush head C is assembled in a resilient and detachable relation within its seat pocket 26 first by tipping the same into the seat so that the rear end of the brush head duct 55 receives the projecting portion of the tube 29 therein, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. The forward end of the brush head is then snapped down into the pocket 26, and the resilient flange 39 flexes, substantially as is illustrated in dotted and full lines in Figure 4 of the drawings, so that the brush head is held both at its forward and rear ends in the pocket 26, against liability of accidental displacement. The valve shank 64 at its rear end is received in the recess of the seat construction lf, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. ln this position the head 66 of the valve is disposed in the duct 55, rearwardly of the port 57 which communicates on the bristles 56, so that dentifrice cannot flow through the port onto the shaped head 66 slides in the duct 55 until the same partially passes the duct end 60, so that dentifrice may How through the duct and through the port 57 when the container D is compressed.

A very novel feature of the construction of the brush head base 50 is the fact that the lower section 53 is provided with upstanding walls 75 at the sides thereof, which receives therebetweenl the intermediate section 52, and part of the upper section 5l, so that the side walls assist in welding or vulcanizing the sections together to provide a rigid base 50 for the bristles 56. These walls 75 assist in the proper positioning of the sections of the` base 50, so that there is no liability of lateral displacement during the fusing operation.

From the foregoing description of this invention it is apparent that a fountain tooth brush has been provided which is compact, and which controls the dentifrice ina sanitary manner so that flow onto the bristles is prevented except when desired. The brush head construction is readily assembled upon its seat, and may be readily detached therefrom merely by forwardly withdrawing the valve stem 64, and lifting upwardly thereon so that the forward end of the brush head snaps past the resilient flange or wall 39 and it may be readily withdra-wn from its seat construction 16, as can be understood.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of the improved fountain tooth brush lll) herein shown and clescribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

l. As an article of manufacture a brush head comprising a section having bristles thereon and a transverse port therein, a pair of sections having grooves in the facing surfaces thereof, said sections being connected together so that the groove-s of said pair of sections face each other to provide a duct having an outlet from the brush head at one end thereof and opening through the port of said first mentioned section onto the bristles of said brush.

2. As an article of manufacture a brush head for fountain tooth brushes comprising a base formed of an upper section, and intermediate and lower grooved sections welded together with the grooves facing to provide a duct extending longitudinally therethrough oval shaped in cross section, bristles upon said upper section, and a valve non-rotatably mounted upon the base of said brush head and operating within said duct for controlling the flow o-f dentifrice therethrough with respect to the bristles of the brush.

3. As an article of manufacture a brush head comprising bristles, and, abase construction including a top section supporting said bristles, an intermediate section, and a bottom section, said top section having a port transversely therethrough outletting upon said bristles, and said intermediate and lower sections providing facing grooves to provide a port which aligns at one end with said port of the top section, said bottom section having upstanding walls thereon for receiving therebetween the intermediate and top sections to accurately locate them with respect to the bottom section.

4. In a fountain tooth brush the combination of a frame providing a seat having a pocket therein with a tubular feed projection extending in said pocket at the yrear end thereof, and a brush head including a base and bristles, said base providing a duct therethrough, opening at one end at the rear end of the base and on the bristles at its other end, said brush head adapted to be assembled in the pocket of said seat with the tubular feed projection extending into the rear end of said duct.

5. In a fountain tooth brush the combination of a frame providing a seat having a pocket therein with a resilient wall at the forward end thereof and a tubular feed projection extending into said pocket at the rear end thereof, and a brush head including a base and bristles, said base providing a duct therethrough opening at the rear end of the base and on the bristles at the other end of said duct, said brush head adapted to be assembled in the pocket of said seat with the tubular feed projection extending into the rear end of said duct and with the resilient wall of said seat engaging the forward end of said base to hold the samein said pocket.

6. As an article of manufacture a fountain tooth brush frame including a seat providing a rear wall having a tubular dentifrice feed projection extending therethrough, side walls extending in converging relation from said rear wall, and a resilient front wall, said rear wall, side wall, and resilient front wall providing a pocket.

7. ln a fountain tooth brush the combination of a frame including an elongated seat providing a recess therein and having an upstanding resilient wall at an end thereof, a brush head including bristles and a base, said base having an elongated opening extending therethrough and a port communieating with said opening and outletting upon said brush bristles, said upstanding resilient wall of the frame having a slot extending downwardly therein from the upper edge thereof adapted to align with the opening of the brush head when the latter is seated in the frame recess, said base being adapted for detachable seating in said recess by snapping the same in place so that the resilient wall is flexed to hold the brush head in the recess of the base, and a valve slidable in the elongated opening of the brush head for controlling the flow of dentifrice thru the port of the brush head, said valve including a stem extending outwardly from the opening of the brush head and thru the slot of the resilient flange exteriorly ofthe frame.

S. As an article of manufacture a tooth brush comprising a brush head including bristles and a base formed of a plurality of sections grooved inwardly of the facing surfaces thereof, said sections being connected at their facing surfaces with the grooves in relation to provide a duct which is ovalshaped in transverse section, said duct having a transverse port leading through one of said sections to said bristles, and a valve member slidable in said duct in snug fitting relation therein, the same being oval-shaped in cross section to prevent rotation thereof, to regulate feeding of dentifrice through the duct with respect to said port.

ARNULFO MENDOZA. 

